Improvement in self-operating gates



W. H. PHILLIPS. lmprovement in SelfOperating Gates.

my! N01 ]2Q322 Patented Oct. 24,1871.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS, OF STAUNTON, INDIANA.

IMPRQVEMENT IN SELF-OPERATING GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,322, dated October 24, 1871.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS, of Staunton, in the county of Clay and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mode of Operating Self-Closing Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the opening and closing of gates for farm and other purposes; and it consists in the construction arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the gate as closed and latched. Fig. 2 is an end view, showing one of the gateposts and part of the mechanism by means of which the gate is operated. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1 taken on the line a: 00, showing the mode of adjusting the upper hinges.

Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

The drawing represents in Fig. 1 a double gate, but the mechanism may be applied to a single gate with equal advantage.

A and B represent the gates. O and D are the posts to which the gates are hinged. E is the latch-post for fastening the gates closed. F represents the lower hook-and-eye hinges of the gates. Gr represents the upper hinges. These latter hinges are adjustable, the hooks h h, attached to the gates, being drawn outward and toward posts in opening the gates by means of the bell-cranks I I and rods J J operated upon by the double cranks K K, the rods L L, and the T-cranks M. In pressing down on either of the I double cranks K K the efi'ect is to pull down the Vertical rods J J, and the latter being attached to the bell-cranks I I the hooks h h of the upper hinges are drawn outward and toward the posts by the upper arms of the bell-cranks, so that the centers of gravity of the gates are changed; the

gates are lifted from their central latch-fastening on the post and they naturally swing open to a right angle with the track and catch to the latchhooks O O on the posts I? P. When the gates are thus fastened back the double cranks are turned in the opposite direction, the adjustable hinges G are thrown back into their proper places, the sprin g-latches are lifted from the hooks O O, and the gates close by their own gravity and latch to the central post. When the hooks h h of the upper hinges are drawn out or in by the bell-cranks I I, they are confined in the slots q (1 attached to the gate-posts, as seen in the section, Fig. 3, and the bell-cranks are guided in their motions back and forth by the long staples It It. The motion of the T-crank m is communicated to the opposite upright rod J by means of the horizontal rod S, which is supported by the gate-posts. There is a crank, T, on the end of this rod, to which the vertical rod J is attached. The operation of the bell-crank and hinge is the same on both gates.

U U are spring-latches, which operate automatically in fastening the gates open or closed.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the gates are opened by simply bearing upon either of the cranks K K, and closed by raising either one.

The gates swing toward the posts I? P. The drawing shows the front side, but the gates are operated from either side.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secme by Letters Patent 1. The bell-cranks I I, cranks KK and M, and rods J and L, arranged and operating substan tially as described, for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination of the hinges G G and guides q and R with the bell-crank I, cranks K K and M, and rods J and L, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses MARCUS W. CARYENTER,

RICHARD M. PHILLIPS. (52) 

